Secretary Kerry Speaks With Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov About the Situation in Ukraine

Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by telephone this morning with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the situation in Ukraine. Secretary Kerry expressed the United States Government's strong support for the action of the Ukrainian parliament today to name an acting president and acting prime minister, and to move quickly to stabilize the country's political and economic situation. Secretary Kerry emphasized that the votes taken today by huge majorities of the Ukrainian people’s elected representatives from all parties, including the Party of Regions, offer the best and most promising path forward to restore peace and stability to Ukraine quickly, and to address Ukraine’s pressing financial challenges in the coming weeks and months.

Secretary Kerry restated America's readiness to work with all members of the international community and all international institutions to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people at this critical time. Secretary Kerry expressed our hope that the Russian Federation will join with us, the European Union and its member states, and other concerned countries to help Ukraine turn the page and emerge from this crisis stronger, united and moving forward through new elections and critically needed reforms . The Secretary noted our call for all sides to refrain from violence and to respect Ukraine's democratic institutions. He also underscored the United States' expectation that Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and democratic freedom of choice will be respected by all states.

Comments

Comments

Amit M.

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Washington, USA

February 23, 2014

Absolutely amazing and pretty interesting to see, really important issue to debacle for international community,US and Russia,i many times discussed with my absolute amazing honey Margaret Brennan CBS news,how this issue become complex but important as foreign policy as well as US relation with Russia,secretary Kerry know very well my amazing honey Margaret Brennan very well,she is also working with Mr Kerry,she also expert in foreign policy and international relation.
Margaret mentioned many times we have to think future of Ukrainian people beyond the politics ,Ukrainian people need help from US and international community like stable Ukraine situation,economical help,political stability,human rights,restore democracy,more freedom to people and less power to president,most Ukraine people want to join EU and follow US due to more economical and political opportunity.
Margaret also mentioned half country follow EU and US due to democracy while half country follow old soviet union to pursue old soviet ideology as well as ethnically,while Russia don't want lose Ukraine as geopolitical because its territory issue for Russia never like to allow any former state to join EU ,while most economical issue like Russia is big trade and business partner of Russia and if Ukraine sign deal with EU,it will hurt Russia economically,so very important issue for Russia as well as for US.
Margaret also mentioned i agree with Mr Kerry statement we have to focus on situation to bring stability in both economical as well as politically to stop country to drag into civil war,so after peace agreement now big task for how we make stable ans safe Ukraine,but i and my amazing honey Margaret we are hopeful for future and stability in Ukraine.we are also hopeful Russia should be coordinate with US to bring Ukraine on the track.

Margaret P.

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California, USA

February 25, 2014

Secretary Kerry's words are meaningless. What he wanted was chaos and instability along Russia's border, and now he has it. It's the familiar "regime change" story, just as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and on and on. It's geopolitical gamesmanship, and any talk about "human rights" or "democracy" is just sickening cant.

Eric J.

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New Mexico, USA

February 25, 2014

I am always amused when I read a comment by Amit M. in Washington, for it is completely self evident that he's become infatuated with a certain media personality....and I share his hopes for folks in Ukraine.

As an excercise in "Regime replacement therapy" , this is the people of Ukraine's finest hour, for even Churchill would agree that never in the history of Ukrain was so much owed by so many to so few.

It may be that the dearly departed Victor ( the guy with a last name that makes my brain hurt trying to spell..), took example from a former President of Honduras that got left on a tarmac in his PJs awhile back, and decided to get while the getting was good...and so took the money and ran as it were...(chuckle).

Another one bites the dust....ousted from power, like all good little autocrats should be. At least to be properly informed by the masses that one is become persona non grata and act accordingly to get gone is prefferable to what Assad is doing, which is nothing short of committing genocide upon the Syrian people...

( and on this point I have to say that I think NSA Susan Rice will rue the day she stated on "Meet the Press" that what Assad is doing by using every tool of warfare known upon his own population, including starvation and the UN stating quite clearly that if humanitarian access and help is not forthcomming, the death toll will become astronomicly higher.)

When one considers that Stalin starved, shot, and put down protests in Ukrain in 1932-33 , over 7 million people died...it may not be considered genocide by some in this government, but I suggest folks take a good hard look at how you define that, because you'all arn't fooling the public who've been witness to it, and I dare say Ms. Rice would get an earfull to the contrary from about 9 million Syrian people displaced by a genocidal maniac and his military.

Oh yeah, it's a bloody civil war too....generally genocide does tend to incite resistance by its victims.

But where does Russia acknoledge its role ...as an enabler of genocide today?

I for one think that the Russians are smart enough to learn from their own historical leaders mistakes and not take part in supporting actins hat would later highly embarras the state...and cause lasting hardship upon a people.

I think they've also learned that their "sphere of influence" as a national interest does not extend into the minds of free men and women and has it's limits of reach, even next door to mother Russia.

I congratulate the Russian people and government for hosting what was a great olympic show...but if the Russian gov. would pledge an equal ammount spent on games to provide relief to the Syrian people then that would probably make more of a statement of "Nationl Influence" than all the icons of Russian history in the closing ceremonies.

It's good that Russia understands the Ukraininan people want to set their own course as a nation, as just because even though the US and UK speak English doesn't mean we try to dictate each other's politics...in fact I think we tend to mutually amuse each other as governments practicing the worst form of government ever invented by man, save all other forms....Churchill had it right about Democracy!

One would hope the Parliment of Ukraine would act wisely and learn from their own government's past mistakes and put its political and fiscal hoses in order, with a little help from their friends and the IMF, and maybe out of this Mr. Putin wil learn two things...one that to be in control of change is not to stand in the way of it. and two, that the sooner he can arrange for Assad's departure, the less likely he personally will be held accountable for supporting a genocidal maniac with weapons and political cover.

I don't think historians will look kindly upon those who denied what their eyes see, and offered excuses to allow genocide to continue on their watch..